Therwil Flyers Top Swiss League Power Rankings

The Bern Cardinals breezed through the competition recently at the European Cup Qualifier in the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, the action in the Swiss League might be a bigger challenge for Coach John Baum and his crew.

The Cards have their sights set on an unprecedented fourth consecutive league crown and remain the favorites. But the retooled Therwil Flyers established themselves as legitimate threats to Bern’s three-year title reign with a dramatic sweep earlier this month featuring a pair of walkoff home runs.

Two darkhorse candidates, both from Zurich, will ubdoubtedly play a major role in the outcome of the title race. The Barracudas are enjoying their best season in recent years while the Challengers are coming off an impressive third-place finish at the European Cup Qualifier in Bulgaria. The Lausanne Indians, albeit inconsistent, is another team that might make some noise down the stretch.

1. Therwil Flyers (10-1)

Legendary WWE Superstar “Nature Boy” Ric Flair used to say, “To be the man, you have to beat the man.” The Flyers are sitting on top of the mountain with a league-best 10-1 mark, two victories over the reigning champs, and a nine-game winning streak.

New Coach John Alexander seems to be the missing piece for the tradition-rich Therwil club which has emulated the winning formula of Bern by stockpiling a collection of quality arms. Alexander, Chris Blackbee, Stefan Koller and Reto Siegel form the league’s top-rated staff with a 2.02 ERA.

The Flyers boast the second-best offensive attack (.331) in the Swiss League led by Blackbee (.462), Siegel (.367) and Daniel Eichenberger (.357). However, Therwil is a free-swinging bunch that has a league-low 20 free passes in 236 at-bats.

2. Bern Cardinals (10-2)

Two things have become the norm in Switzerland every fall. The sunshine goes on holiday and the Cards are collecting hardware. While Bern is ranked number two this week - the defending title-holders remain the favorites in the Swiss League.

Baum is the architect of one of Europe’s most successful teams in recent years and has been a standout performer on the mound (1.31 ERA) and at the plate (.579). But keeping his squad focused and hungry after three consecutive championships has been his biggest accomplishment.

Solid pitching has been a major staple for Bern and veteran hurler Severin Fries (1.71) can be dominant at times while Christoph Beyeler (2.42) is another effective pitcher who consistently racks up W’s. However, the Cards are not too shabby with the lumber.

Bern hits .321 as a group with Jhonny Perigos (.486), Tobias Imboden (.419), Angelo Rodriguez (.375) and Samuel Paulino (.362) topping the list of dangerous hitters. The Cards have 110 hits, 28 doubles and seven home runs heading into the second half of the season.

3. Zurich Barracudas (9-4)

The Barracudas have become a more consistent ballclub this season with an improved offense (.291) and the league’s third-ranked pitching corps. Schnyder (11-for-22), Nderim Coma (11-for-29) and Chico Colindres (8-for-25) are the best hitters while J.T. Schroeder (0.34), Frank Berchtold (3.43) and Jeffrey Mottl (3.45) anchor the pitching staff

4. Lausanne Indians (7-7)

The Big Red Machine tops the league with a .365 batting average, 105 runs, 133 hits and 16 home runs. But, the Group 2 leaders possess a porous pitching rotation with an inflated 5.09 ERA. Jay Casimiro .512 (21-for-41), Ivan Jimenez .512 (22-for-43, 5 HR) and Rafael de Freites .486 (18-for-37, 4 HR) pace the Indians offensive juggernaut.

5. Zurich Challengers (5-7)

The Jekyl and Hyde Challengers are still searching for their identity midway through the season which does not bode well for a team accustomed to contending for the title on an annual basis. Zurich ranks near the bottom in offense (.274) and has a woeful pitching staff with a 5.56 ERA. Parity has reared its ugly head in the Swiss League and the former champions are paying the price.

6. Sissach Frogs (4-10)

The Frogs are slowly crawling back towards respectability after a disastrous 2007 campaign. Although the squad has a suspect offense (.249) and the league’s worst pitching unit, Sissach has been competitive most games while capturing four victories. It’s hard to believe that just two years ago the Frogs were a serious contender for the Swiss crown.

7. Reussbuhl Eagles (3-9)

Similar to the Frogs, the Eagles had a pair of hot shot American imports the last two years and were major players in the Swiss league. But, the departure of a prized left-handed ace and a power-hitting infielder has left Reussbuhl a mediocre team.

8. Wil Devils (3-11)

The new kids on the block have made a decent showing since getting promoted from the second division and almost pulled off a shocking upset this past weekend over the mighty Cardinals.

Photo/Therwil Flyers

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